What do you think Elvis loved to do the most beside sing?

[Tommy]

Hi Everybody,

What is your opinion of what Elvis loved to do besides sing?

Tommy

[Raised on Rock]

Well I didnpt know him haha...

He said in an interview in 1970 that when he wasnt working he read a lot, that he enjoyed his Karate practice, and do a lot of horseback riding.

Pricilla told once that he enjoyed pretty much to do some swiming before breakfast as a way to work out, spend the rest of the morning after breakfast reading, do his karate practice in the afternoon, and go to the movies by night.

We know that he liked to drive his cars and motorcycles around town, go to amusement parks, and spend a lot of time with his family and friends.

Besides singing, we have been told that he had an inmense record collection, he liked a lot just to sitdown and enjoy lisening to music.

[michu]

Hmm he surely loved having sex...like every normal human I guess

[Tommy]

Thanks guys for the interesting replies.

Tommy

[keelerphoto]

he loved to give "gifts" to people he just met,only the sincere ones,he knew the ones,,,,,,,"you like it!!!! its yours" i think thats what elvis has in common with his fans,

[Cryogenic]

After singing...Laugh. Socialise. Have sex.

Probably in that order.

Seriously, I think he liked to feel ALIVE. Though, when the 70's began clouding over, I think there were many times he just wanted to block out everything. The rest of the time, however, I believe that Elvis was well into living. So much into living, perhaps, that he obsessed over how people would perceive him, a fellow "living being", as it were. How does one stay within this ephemeral cloud of existence we call humanity? How does one find fulfilment? And how does one keep it? These were almost certainly the existential questions bugging Elvis - as they bug us all. In his case, however, he was continually reminded of his uniqueness on a daily basis - he had a unique talent, unique looks, a unique drive and a unique place in human society - and this perhaps kept the questions at the forefront of his mind. Oddly, Elvis lived for spontaneity - a random joke or smile amongst friends, a free-flowing performance in the studio and on stage - which put him at odds with the other aspect of life: that of meticulousness, that of planning, that of preparing. Elvis surely believed (or spent his entire life desperately wanting to believe) in fate or destiny, but these are murky concepts at the best of times, and for someone that lived so much for the moment, Elvis didn't necessarily project too far into the future. Yet at the same time, he was almost certainly aware of fate and destiny - again, owed to his uniqueness - on levels that few of us experience on anywhere near as deep or frequent a basis. So we have this wonderful contradiction. Once you understand that contradiction, it's easy to guess at where Elvis Presley derived the greatest pleasures from.

Whoa! Sorry for getting so psychedelic.

[1100ccRider]

Martial arts was probably very important to Elvis. Once you get into it, it tends to become something you really need to do.

He read a lot, too.

[Lonniebealestreet]

...he was continually reminded of his uniqueness on a daily basis - he had a unique talent, unique looks, a unique drive and a unique place in human society - and this perhaps kept the questions at the forefront of his mind. Oddly, Elvis lived for spontaneity - a random joke or smile amongst friends, a free-flowing performance in the studio and on stage - which put him at odds with the other aspect of life: that of meticulousness, that of planning, that of preparing. Elvis surely believed (or spent his entire life desperately wanting to believe) in fate or destiny, but these are murky concepts at the best of times, and for someone that lived so much for the moment, Elvis didn't necessarily project too far into the future. Yet at the same time, he was almost certainly aware of fate and destiny - again, owed to his uniqueness - on levels that few of us experience on anywhere near as deep or frequent a basis. So we have this wonderful contradiction. Once you understand that contradiction, it's easy to guess at where Elvis Presley derived the greatest pleasures from.

Wonderfully articulated, Cryo.

My short answer to this question would be connecting with people, which of course includes singing/performing, but a lot more too.

[Wendy56]

Elvis loved to give presents... I guess that made him happy. Yep, after singing, giving something to people was what he loved the most.

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Having had a gift that transcended that of many mere mortals like us, I think Elvis became immersed in trying to find the answer to a simple question "Why Me?"
The fickle finger had surely blessed him in so many ways, how would you reconcile normal day to day living with that of complete adulation from the fans?

Part of the answer could probably be found in his faith, which teaches us many lessons that help to keep us grounded, but being human can always add an ingredient that defies logic.

How do you deal with such adulation and remain untouched and keep a level head?

The madness that surrounded Elvis at every stage in his career must have left Elvis with many questions, self doubt will touch every human being at some point in there life and Elvis would have been no exception.

I remember seeing a documentary about the Beatles where they played a stadium in the states, one of the comments was that the screaming was so loud that they themselves could not hear the singing. Elvis must have had similar experiences, the thought occurred to me that did Elvis ever consider that did people come to hear him sing or just come because it was Elvis?

In the program Elvis by the Presley?s there were books shown that Elvis had read and had highlighted various passages, so it shows that Elvis was quite a deep thinker both spiritually and on a philosophical level.

There are several ways to enjoy what fame has given you e.g. cars, planes and a grandiose lifestyle but at the end of the day the question will always remain WHY ME

[ElvisBlue]

I didn't know Elvis personally, but I've heard that Elvis really loves to drive one of his cars or motorcycles, and he loves to read a Book and to shot with one of his Guns he collected. And, like Wendy said before, he really loves to make presents...

[Cryogenic]

Elvis was hedonistic - but intensely deep at the same time. Or so I believe based on what I "know". He was and remains an individual full of contradictions; an American icon every bit as conflicted and paradoxical as another American icon - Bruce Lee. Both should be lauded. But both should also be treated cautiously and objectively. Both were awe inspiring yet emthatically human. That's what matters here.

Lonnie, thanks for the compliment, man. "Connecting with people" truly is a BRILLIANT distillation of the man and at the heart of what I was trying to say. I sincerely believe - though my beliefs, especially at the tender age of 22, are always in motion - that as human beings, we are constantly seeking to attain balance. Balance in everything. From drinking and making love to thinking and feeling. A huge entity in which this seeking of balance manifests itself is the balance - or conflict - between individual identity and social identity. That is, between the private self and the public self - and a sh*tload that that entails. How do we construct and retain our individuality yet become a social animal - and vice versa? Society naturally abhors individuality yet requires it; individuals naturally abhor social integration yet thirst for it. For example, you can find a teen that says they enjoy rebelling and are against anything and everything, but when it gets right down to it, they probably want nothing more than to be embraced by SOCIETY as an equal - different yet equal. This is surely what Elvis saught. How to retain every aspect of his own self - flashy clothes, raunchy stage moves, odd looks, personal thoughts - yet still be fully embraced and accepted by society at large. I'm not sure he ever found a happy medium (as none of us really do - but I think Elvis really felt it on levels we can't grasp). Everything about him was unusual - right down to his name. He stood out. And he loved it. Yet he also hated it. It's one of the most bizarre contradictions in our existence - but I think it's totally legitimate and drives everything we do.

If Felton Jarvis was telling the truth, then Elvis definitely expressed existential frustation on the lawn of Graceland one lonesome 1976 night during the "Jungle Room Sessions": "I'm just so tired of being Elvis Presley." Interesting. Did Elvis hate himself, his public image or just the pressures of being famous? It's hard to say. For he surely also loved all three. It's all a bit of "yin" and "yang", right? I'm sure he would have been miserable as an electrician or truck driver. Once Elvis started tapping into that larger life, there was no going back.

Wow! That's some tangent. Either it's my English-degree-in-waiting kicking in or the whiskey and tobacco I've had tonight. (I don't normally touch either - the perils of being a uni student!).

[Memphisgurl]

i think he loved being with "the guys" a.k.a the memphis mafia! he loved gospel, listening to gospel, singing, and being with his family, they were very important to him, especially his parents.

[KPM]

I think he loved the being able to do what he wanted when he wanted. Buy a Continental, then buy five for friends and one for a stranger. Go to Aspen for footlong peanut butter sandwiches at midnight and take a dozen friends. Give an electric wheelchair to a poor blackwoman for Christmas and realize she doesn't know who you are. Sing a request for a fan, just because they asked for it. Read a book for the tenth time to understand it better. He loved doing the unexpected to see the looks of amazement.